Improvement in canceling-stamps



A. HUGHES.

Canceling Stamp.

Patented Mar. 18, 1879.

NJ'EfF-RS, FHOTILLITHOGRAPHER WASHINGTON. D C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALFRED HUGHES, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

IM RROVEM ENT IN CANCELING-S' I'AM PS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 213,333, dated March 18, 1879; application filed November 22, 1878.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED HUGHES, M. D., of the city of Baltimore and State of Maryland, have invented a new an duseful improvement, namely, an Improved and Combined Post-Office Stamp and Oanceler in and on one and the same disk, of which the following is a specification:

My invention relates to post-office stamps and cancelers; and consists in so constructing and arranging the various parts entering 'into the combination as to rigidly hold in place and prevent the loosening, occasioned by constant jarring, of the frame or head in which rest the type and canceling or man glin g blocks, exclusive of other supplemental clamping devlce.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of the stamping and canceling face of my invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation, with head in vertical section; and Fig. 3 is a perspective of one of the shouldered type-blocks.

In that class of stamps and cancelers where the head or type-block bed has been attached to the handle or frame by means of male and female screw-threads the screw-joint has been subjected to such strain occasioned by concussion during the stamping process as to wear the threads of the screw, and thus cause the joint to work loose. Supplemental screwclamps have been heretofore used to more securely hold in place the head, as above generally described; but this double adjustment occasions loss of time and greater expense in the manufacture of stamp-cancelers.

By the peculiar construction of the several parts operating in combination with the screwjoint in my invention, the threads are relieved from strain and the use ofsupplemental clamps obviated, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

In the frame B, which is rigidly attached to handle A, I provide arecess or cavity, upon the inner face of the wall of which is formed a female thread. This thread extends to a point near to the bottom of the cavity, the remaining portion of the space being greater in diameter than that occupied by the thread, as shown at y, Fig. 2.

Upon the rear face of the head or type-block bed 0, I provide a male screw-projection, O, and through this head I cut slots or,perforations to conform in contour to the shape of the various types, type-blocks, or manglers d. Upon the rear end of the edges of these types I construct projecting shoulders l. The wall of the recess in the frame B is constructed of a height equal to or less than the length of the screw-proj ection G, for reasons hereinafter made obvious.

In practice, I have found that when the upper edge of the recess-wall of the frame B comes in contact with the rear surface of the flange formed by the projecting edge of the head (3, and by reason of frequent concussions in the stamping process, the screw-joint wears loose. To prevent this contact I provide a space, as at 2, Fig. 2, between the head-flange and the upper surface of the wall.

When the types, type-blocks, or manglers are inserted in their respective receptacles, the frame B is screwed down over the projection C until the rear surfaces ofi the types, typeblocks, or manglers abut against the bottom of the recess in the frame B, the shoulders I interposing to prevent the rear surface of the flange on the head 0 from comingjn contact with the upper surface of the recess-wall in the frame B.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

In a post-office stamp and canceler, the head 0, provided with screw-projection G, the frame B, recessed to receive the head-projection and provided with a wall constructed as described, and the type-blocks d, having shoulders I, all combined and arranged so as to provide recesses y and z, in the manner and 'for the purpose substantially as set forth.

ALFRED HUGHES, M. D.

Witnesses:

GEo. A. HEMIMICK, HARRY KING. 

